~*~*~*~
Chapter 2
~*~*~*~
Arms flew around his neck, embracing him tightly
Cloud returned the hug for a moment then pushed the brunette in his arms back to arms length and studied her.
Tifa had aged unlike Vincent or himself who looked the same as when they were chasing Sephiroth across the world, with the exception of minor changes such as hair length, which was of course thanks to Hojo for the experiments he had done to them both. Her hair had streaks of gray here and there and there were dark smudges under her eyes but she still held herself tall and proud, something that almost made him smile outright, no matter how much time would pass she would always be a proud fighter, even when she had no enemies left to fight.
"It's good to see you Tifa, you look well." He said softly.
She scoffed at that. "For an old woman, what about you Cloud, you haven't changed a bit."
"I guess not.can we go inside, there's something I need to tell you."
Tifa studied him for a moment then took a step back and nodded. "Of course, follow me."
She led them into the house then straight down the hallway into a large cozy room at the other end. "Make yourselves comfortable."
Cloud seated himself on the large couch and Vincent moved to rest against the arm of the chair. "Thanks.The Cetra spoke to me."
For a moment she simply stared into space before her eyes focused once again on Cloud. "What did they say?" Tifa asked, almost inaudibly.
Vincent fixed his gaze on the small place between Clouds shoulder blades. "Zack and Sephiroth have been brought back to life."
"W-what? Why?"
The blond ex-SOLDIER sighed. "A second chance at life I guess."
"So Sephiroth can have another chance at destroying the world?!"
Vincent stood then and turned his crimson gaze to her. "The circumstances are different, it might not come to that this time."
Tifa glared at him. "You don't know that."
"True, but I do not believe the Cetra would go to all the trouble of bringing them both back to life just so Sephiroth could do what he couldn't do before." Vincent replied calmly.
"Ahhhh, how can you be so calm about it? Do you even know where he is?!" She screamed, not bothering to contain her anger.
"We are currently unaware as to their whereabouts."
Cloud cut her off before she could reply. "We came here to tell you Tifa, so you could be prepared if something did go wrong. I'm getting sick of mourning the deaths of my friends." He said simply then rose.
"Cloud.wait."
He stopped then turned and waited.
Tifa stood and closed her eyes in thought. "You're going after them.aren't you?"
"I have to." He said quietly.
Vincent looked from one to the other before turning to Cloud. "I'm going to go into town, there are some things I need to pick up."
Cloud nodded then watched him leave before turning back to Tifa, he opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.
"Let me go with you." She said suddenly.
"No, I can't."
She frowned. "Why not?"
Glowing blue eyes bore into her brown ones. "You already know why Tifa, you've been thinking about it since you saw me ten minutes ago."
For a moment the brunette looked as if she would argue then suddenly he proud frame slumped slightly and a defeated look crossed her face. "Sometimes I wish you didn't know me so well." She muttered.
Cloud allowed himself a small smile and he stretched forth a hand and gently brushed a strand of gray streaked hair behind her ear. "We both know that's a lie." He said gently then took a step back, his face returning to its stony expression.
She stared up at him for a moment then suddenly she blinked. "Tide."
"What?"
"Tide, my eldest son. Take him with you, I taught him everything I know so he won't slow you down." She said quickly. "I even taught him how to cook."
Cloud shook his head. "Tifa."
"No, either you take him or I'm going with you." Tifa said, back straight and eyes defiant.
They stood there staring each other in the eye before Cloud suddenly gave in. "Alright, I'll take him with us. At least we won't die of food poisoning." He said with a sigh.
She smiled at him then went to the door and leaned out. "Tide!"
A few minutes later they were joined by a handsome young man who looked no older than eighteen, he had long dark brown hair like his mother but startling ice blue eyes that even without mako exposure held a glow of their own. He was a few inches shorter than Cloud and the ex-SOLDIER could see that by the way he confidently held his body that he was fierce and strong. There was something else as well, deep within his pale eyes, a kind of gentleness, a deep respect for all living things.
Tifa smiled at her son. "Tide, this is Cloud Strife, remember I told you about him?"
Tide raised an eyebrow and looked him over. "Almost every day.so you're the infamous Cloud Strife, savior of the planet."
"I'm not sure I'd go that far but my name is Cloud Strife." The blond replied wryly.
"Cloud's going to be going on another trip, Tide. I want you to go with him." Tifa said softly.
The youths eyes turned from Cloud to Tifa then back again. "But what about the bar?"
"Your brother and I can handle it on our own. I want you to look after Cloud and learn from him, plus if you go then I know that he won't get sick from eating bad food"
Tide looked as if he was about to say something then sighed. "When do we leave?" He asked sullenly.
Cloud took a deep breath then exhaled. "As soon as you're done packing."
~*~*~*~
The Thunderbird fell twitching to the rocky ground while its ebony haired executioner stood over it a look f disdain plain on his face. He raised on hand to wipe his mouth then lowered it when he smelt a distinct coppery scent.
He looked down at his hands to find them both dripping dark crimson blood that had belonged to the monster he had felled. He stared down at his hands recollecting how he had torn the monster to pieces with just his bare hands moments ago. The hairs on the back of his neck started to rise and he knew he was being watched.
His head shot up and he turned eyes darting about trying to locate his observer. The tingling at the back of his neck grew stronger then from behind him he heard a noise, he turned just in time to see a man walking out of the trees behind him and cast a sleep spell.
Everything went black.
~*~*~*~
They met up with Vincent in front of a small inn on the edge of the town, it had only taken Tide ten minutes to pack even with Tifa going behind him and stuffing more, unnecessary things into his two travel bags.
Vincent nodded to Cloud upon catching sight of him then gave Tide an appraising look. "He's coming with us?"
"It was either him or Tifa." Cloud said softly.
"I see." Was all the other said.
Tide looked from one man to the other. "It's just us?"
Cloud nodded. "We still have a ways to go but for now it's just us." He said then looked around. "We're going to need to get another gold chocobo before we can go anywhere."
"There's an old man on the other side of town who owns one, he might be willing to sell it.but it wouldn't be cheap." The dark haired youth informed them quietly.
Vincent grunted. "Money isn't an problem, where is he?" He asked.
Tide pointed back the way Vincent and Cloud had entered the town. "His house is right on the outskirts, there's a big open field next to it so you can miss it."
The older man nodded then turned to Cloud. "I'll go and get it, you should figure out where we're headed next."
"Right, we'll be inside." The blond replied pointing to the inn. "Come on Tide."
"Hn."
~*~*~*~
"Get him inside before the spell wears off."
Rough hands grabbed the shoulders of the semi conscious man and dragged him into the waiting prison cell then slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Who do you think he is?"
"Don't know."
"Where do you think he's from?"
"Don't know."
"Why."
"Shut up and get out of here or I'll lock you in here with him!"
There was a sound of feet scurrying away and the dark haired man in the cell groaned before opening his eyes slowly.
"So you're awake?"
He looked up at the moldy ceiling then around to find himself locked up, he glared at the man on the other side of the bars and idly noticed that something about this situation seemed familiar, being caged like this.
"Cat got your tongue? Doesn't matter either way, no one's coming for you." The guard taunted, grinning from ear to ear.
He growled but said nothing and turned his back to the other man and stared at the blank brick wall. Behind him he heard the guard grunt then leave. He sighed and pushed back strands of jet black hair then looked up at the small barred window that let in gentle rays of moonlight before crawling on his hands and knees to the spot where the moons rays hit the cold hard ground and sat there, basking in the light.
Even here in this dark, dank place he felt something calling him.
If only he could figure out what.
~*~*~*~
He sat alone by the open window staring out at the night, the lights were off so there was no light other than that of the pale new moon that lay high in the sky. More and more of late he'd been considering leaving but every time the thought came up something inside him told him to wait, that something important was going to happen and that he needed to be here when it happened.
He turned his gaze back inside the small room he temporarily inhabited, it wasn't much, a bed, a mirror, a tiny closet and a bed-side table. Staying in this room he got the feeling that somewhere in his past he was accustomed to much more, it was one of the things that continued to nag at him as he moved about his business each day.
His eyes turned back to regard the pale moon just as it was being covered by a large white cloud.
/Am I alone in this world then? If so why and if not.what then?/
He sighed then, a deep mournful sigh. /At least, someone, tell me my name.Micah, the name I was given, it fits me like a mismatched shoe, I can feel it, yet.I have no idea how I would discover my own identity/
The man stood then and removed his clothes, folding them neatly then placing them at the end of his small bed. He did then what he had done every night he went to sleep since he had been taken in. He stood naked in front of the mirror and gazed at his reflection. He ran one hand through his silky silver hair and frowned slightly.
/Strange, most people with silver hair would be well into their years yet I look no older than twenty five and my eyes, such a rich green. There isn't anyone else in the town with green eyes, but what about this odd glow?/
He stared into his own eyes through the mirror then sighed wearily and turned towards his bed, slipping between the sheets he shivered, there was one thing about himself he was sure of, he hated getting into a cold bed. Lying on his back he stared up at the ceiling for a moment then closed his eyes, letting his mind wonder over all the possibilities that could explain his life thus far.
/Soon.soon I will find out my name/
Soon after that thought sleep took him.
~*~*~*~
Tide squinted at the horizon and sighed at the lack of villages in sight.
"It will be some time more before we reach Kalm." Vincent said calmly from behind him.
"I know." The boy replied dejectedly and turned to face the older man. "I was just hoping we could stay at an inn instead of sleeping on the ground like this."
Vincent grunted then turned back to the fire. "You will have to get used to it, the wilderness is a stern mistress and she does not suffer those who cannot fend for themselves."
The youth stood there for a moment then slumped over to sit by the campfire. "Is he always like this?" He asked Cloud.
"Not really, he just has a lot on his mind." The blond replied without looking up from his journal.
"Hn."
Minutes passed then finally Cloud closed the book he was writing in and gazed across the fire at Tide. "What's wrong Tide?"
"What makes you think something is wrong?"
Cloud said nothing but stared over the fire into the other boys eyes, he'd learnt from doing that in the past that it made people uncomfortable because of the eerie glow that the mako in his system had created.
The younger man stared back for close to a minute before averting his gaze. "Where are we going anyway?"
"To Kalm."
"Not that." The other said with a huff of frustration. "I mean, why are we going anywhere anyway."
The blond sat there a moment trying to figure out the best way to answer his question. "How much has Tifa told you about out journey? The one at North Crater."
"Not much, why?"
"Did she tell you anything about a man called Sephiroth?"
Tide blinked. "She said he was a really evil guy who wanted to destroy the world and that you killed him."
Cloud sighed. "I thought she might say something like that." He paused thoughtfully and looked over to Vincent who was moving over to his tent. "Where are you going?"
"Bed, don't keep the boy up too late telling stories, we need to be moving early tomorrow morning." And with that he disappeared inside his tent.
The blond man sighed inwardly but turned back to Tide. "I guess I should start at the start."
~*~*~*~
"There it is." Cloud said to Tide, pointing to a dark spot on the horizon.
Tide raised one hand to shield his eyes from the sun then squinted. "How can you tell?" He asked.
"The mako treatments I received enhanced all of my senses.I thought I told you that last night." The blond said pointedly.
The boy looked slightly shame faced. "I guess I forgot."
Cloud shook his head. "It's fine, I don't expect you to remember everything I tell you." He said with a wry grin then looked over his shoulder to where Vincent rode just slightly behind them. "How long do you think it'll take us to get there?"
"An hour.maybe two." The older man replied his gaze on the small dot on the horizon. "We'll get there a little after sunset."
"Who are we going to see in Kalm?" Tide asked shifting uncomfortably on his chocobo.
"Cid and Reeve." Vincent answered softly then sank back into silence.
Tide thought about that for a moment then looked at Cloud. "Isn't Reeve the name of the guy who worked for ShinRa?"
Cloud nodded. "That's him, he was head of Urban Development. From what Vincent's told me Reeve's been working on building a better ShinRa."
"What about Cid?"
"He's working on getting a space exploration program running." The blond replied absently.
The youth looked at him. "Is something wrong?"
The older man shook his head slightly. "Not really, I was just trying to figure out how we're going to find Zack and Sephiroth."
"Look."
Cloud raised an eyebrow as he regarded the teen. "That's a very bad habit, you know?"
"My dad always used to do it to my mum, it used to drive her nuts."
Noting the distinct depressed tone in the boys voice Cloud changed the subject. "Tifa said she taught you everything she knew."
Tide looked up and nodded slightly, not sure where the conversation was headed. "I guess."
"Then she taught you how to fight?"
The red head nodded. "She gave me her Premium Heart before we left, so I could 'look after' you better." He added with a wry smirk.
"Sounds like Tifa, what else did she give you?"
"Some potions and ethers and her materia." Tide replied as he rummaged around in one of his bags. "She gave me her summon materia too."
"Ifrit and Titan?" When the boy nodded Cloud shook his head. "Equip it all now, I don't want you wandering around unarmed."
"Right."
"You have to try and remember Tide, even though the planet's calmed down a lot there are still monsters crawling all over the place." Cloud warned him seriously.
The teen nodded and started to put on the reinforced combat gloves then he began putting various materia into the slots. The blond watched him noting each materia. /Fire, ice, lightning, restore, heal, revive, transform, Ultima, Ifrit, Titan.not a bad collection Tifa/
He watched as each materia slid into place. "I didn't think she'd give you those, we're going to have to stop by a materia shop in Kalm and pick up some low level materia."
"What's wrong with what I've got?"
"The reason you start with a level one materia is so your mind can adapt to it and become stronger as you familiarize it, that's why with each time you cast a spell it gets stronger, because you do." Cloud explained patiently. "The other reason is that if you're unfamiliar with a spell and you suddenly start trying to cast it at it's max level there's a good chance you'll either blow your body apart in a backlash or your mind will crumble under the stress and you'll go insane."
Tide blinked and stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "You're not kidding are you?" He asked in a whisper.
"No, there were records of it happening in one of the old ShinRa labs, but after all this time I don't think you'd be able to find much, if the lab is intact at all." The blond said watching the rode in front of them.
Without hesitation Tide began plucking the materia back out with the exception of a level one ice materia that sat alone in the very middle slot.
Cloud saw it out of the corner of his eye and frowned thoughtfully. "I didn't think Tifa had any low level materia."
"My dad brought it for me before he died."
"Sorry."
"Hn."
The continued to ride in silence with only a few minor observations from Vincent about possible ambushes or monster sightings, none of which were of any concern since they were too far away to be of any danger. It was something that was still an alien concept for Tide, having grown up in a happy and secure environment away from harm. The closest he had come to danger was the near constant sparring matches his mother had insisted upon and possibly the town bullies but eventually they learnt that smaller didn't mean weaker. Tide had made sure they understood that after being on the receiving end of their taunts for more times than he could successfully ignore.
His mother had told him and his brother stories every night about how she and Cloud Strife had roamed the world searching for Sephiroth and peace. He also remembered her staring off into the distance after those stories just thinking and he recalled how she often looked sad for some reason. It wasn't until he became a teenager that he really started to figure out why though, Mideel was generally a average sized, quiet town and even if you were the anti-social type you got to know everyone in your age group fairly well, regardless of whether you wanted to or not. His early teenage years were particularly interesting because like everyone else he started to see things a little differently.
And so did the girls.
Thinking back he recalled being the center of many fights that stemmed from jealousy because the girls most of the girls in town were smitten by his good looks and kind nature and those who weren't were drawn to his strength and calm fighting spirit. It wasn't long that he started earning a reputation for being the dangerous sort and that of course meant that the girls fathers were grounding their daughters to keep them away from him.
While this went of the daughters and the mothers insisted that they were being stupid and that Tide wouldn't hurt a fly if he didn't have to.
Tide shook his head wryly and sighed as his memories flowed to him.
He remembered his mother telling him one morning that they needed a bigger place to spar and so where else better than the town square for their morning, afternoon and nightly workouts. It wasn't until after he saw the audience that comprised mostly of females that he suspected his mother had ulterior motives instead of the 'bigger places make better sparring' she had given him. Their workouts were always quite hot and sweaty and because it was a habit of his to remove his shirt at such points he didn't really think it would be such a big deal.
/Boy was I wrong/ He thought ruefully.
After the first time he did that the crowd effectively doubled in size and a few more men had joined in to watched him and his mother spar and it wasn't long before there wasn't almost nowhere he could go where he wouldn't be followed by at least one pair of eyes.
".here."
Tide's head snapped up and he blinked. "Huh?"
"We're here." Vincent repeated softly.
Sure enough they were quickly approaching the large city, he could see the bright lights from the windows and watched as a few individuals made their way around the darkened streets. Vincent moved his chocobo into the lead. "This way."
~*~*~*~
Arms flew around his neck, embracing him tightly
Cloud returned the hug for a moment then pushed the brunette in his arms back to arms length and studied her.
Tifa had aged unlike Vincent or himself who looked the same as when they were chasing Sephiroth across the world, with the exception of minor changes such as hair length, which was of course thanks to Hojo for the experiments he had done to them both. Her hair had streaks of gray here and there and there were dark smudges under her eyes but she still held herself tall and proud, something that almost made him smile outright, no matter how much time would pass she would always be a proud fighter, even when she had no enemies left to fight.
"It's good to see you Tifa, you look well." He said softly.
She scoffed at that. "For an old woman, what about you Cloud, you haven't changed a bit."
"I guess not.can we go inside, there's something I need to tell you."
Tifa studied him for a moment then took a step back and nodded. "Of course, follow me."
She led them into the house then straight down the hallway into a large cozy room at the other end. "Make yourselves comfortable."
Cloud seated himself on the large couch and Vincent moved to rest against the arm of the chair. "Thanks.The Cetra spoke to me."
For a moment she simply stared into space before her eyes focused once again on Cloud. "What did they say?" Tifa asked, almost inaudibly.
Vincent fixed his gaze on the small place between Clouds shoulder blades. "Zack and Sephiroth have been brought back to life."
"W-what? Why?"
The blond ex-SOLDIER sighed. "A second chance at life I guess."
"So Sephiroth can have another chance at destroying the world?!"
Vincent stood then and turned his crimson gaze to her. "The circumstances are different, it might not come to that this time."
Tifa glared at him. "You don't know that."
"True, but I do not believe the Cetra would go to all the trouble of bringing them both back to life just so Sephiroth could do what he couldn't do before." Vincent replied calmly.
"Ahhhh, how can you be so calm about it? Do you even know where he is?!" She screamed, not bothering to contain her anger.
"We are currently unaware as to their whereabouts."
Cloud cut her off before she could reply. "We came here to tell you Tifa, so you could be prepared if something did go wrong. I'm getting sick of mourning the deaths of my friends." He said simply then rose.
"Cloud.wait."
He stopped then turned and waited.
Tifa stood and closed her eyes in thought. "You're going after them.aren't you?"
"I have to." He said quietly.
Vincent looked from one to the other before turning to Cloud. "I'm going to go into town, there are some things I need to pick up."
Cloud nodded then watched him leave before turning back to Tifa, he opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.
"Let me go with you." She said suddenly.
"No, I can't."
She frowned. "Why not?"
Glowing blue eyes bore into her brown ones. "You already know why Tifa, you've been thinking about it since you saw me ten minutes ago."
For a moment the brunette looked as if she would argue then suddenly he proud frame slumped slightly and a defeated look crossed her face. "Sometimes I wish you didn't know me so well." She muttered.
Cloud allowed himself a small smile and he stretched forth a hand and gently brushed a strand of gray streaked hair behind her ear. "We both know that's a lie." He said gently then took a step back, his face returning to its stony expression.
She stared up at him for a moment then suddenly she blinked. "Tide."
"What?"
"Tide, my eldest son. Take him with you, I taught him everything I know so he won't slow you down." She said quickly. "I even taught him how to cook."
Cloud shook his head. "Tifa."
"No, either you take him or I'm going with you." Tifa said, back straight and eyes defiant.
They stood there staring each other in the eye before Cloud suddenly gave in. "Alright, I'll take him with us. At least we won't die of food poisoning." He said with a sigh.
She smiled at him then went to the door and leaned out. "Tide!"
A few minutes later they were joined by a handsome young man who looked no older than eighteen, he had long dark brown hair like his mother but startling ice blue eyes that even without mako exposure held a glow of their own. He was a few inches shorter than Cloud and the ex-SOLDIER could see that by the way he confidently held his body that he was fierce and strong. There was something else as well, deep within his pale eyes, a kind of gentleness, a deep respect for all living things.
Tifa smiled at her son. "Tide, this is Cloud Strife, remember I told you about him?"
Tide raised an eyebrow and looked him over. "Almost every day.so you're the infamous Cloud Strife, savior of the planet."
"I'm not sure I'd go that far but my name is Cloud Strife." The blond replied wryly.
"Cloud's going to be going on another trip, Tide. I want you to go with him." Tifa said softly.
The youths eyes turned from Cloud to Tifa then back again. "But what about the bar?"
"Your brother and I can handle it on our own. I want you to look after Cloud and learn from him, plus if you go then I know that he won't get sick from eating bad food"
Tide looked as if he was about to say something then sighed. "When do we leave?" He asked sullenly.
Cloud took a deep breath then exhaled. "As soon as you're done packing."
~*~*~*~
The Thunderbird fell twitching to the rocky ground while its ebony haired executioner stood over it a look f disdain plain on his face. He raised on hand to wipe his mouth then lowered it when he smelt a distinct coppery scent.
He looked down at his hands to find them both dripping dark crimson blood that had belonged to the monster he had felled. He stared down at his hands recollecting how he had torn the monster to pieces with just his bare hands moments ago. The hairs on the back of his neck started to rise and he knew he was being watched.
His head shot up and he turned eyes darting about trying to locate his observer. The tingling at the back of his neck grew stronger then from behind him he heard a noise, he turned just in time to see a man walking out of the trees behind him and cast a sleep spell.
Everything went black.
~*~*~*~
They met up with Vincent in front of a small inn on the edge of the town, it had only taken Tide ten minutes to pack even with Tifa going behind him and stuffing more, unnecessary things into his two travel bags.
Vincent nodded to Cloud upon catching sight of him then gave Tide an appraising look. "He's coming with us?"
"It was either him or Tifa." Cloud said softly.
"I see." Was all the other said.
Tide looked from one man to the other. "It's just us?"
Cloud nodded. "We still have a ways to go but for now it's just us." He said then looked around. "We're going to need to get another gold chocobo before we can go anywhere."
"There's an old man on the other side of town who owns one, he might be willing to sell it.but it wouldn't be cheap." The dark haired youth informed them quietly.
Vincent grunted. "Money isn't an problem, where is he?" He asked.
Tide pointed back the way Vincent and Cloud had entered the town. "His house is right on the outskirts, there's a big open field next to it so you can miss it."
The older man nodded then turned to Cloud. "I'll go and get it, you should figure out where we're headed next."
"Right, we'll be inside." The blond replied pointing to the inn. "Come on Tide."
"Hn."
~*~*~*~
"Get him inside before the spell wears off."
Rough hands grabbed the shoulders of the semi conscious man and dragged him into the waiting prison cell then slammed the door shut and locked it.
"Who do you think he is?"
"Don't know."
"Where do you think he's from?"
"Don't know."
"Why."
"Shut up and get out of here or I'll lock you in here with him!"
There was a sound of feet scurrying away and the dark haired man in the cell groaned before opening his eyes slowly.
"So you're awake?"
He looked up at the moldy ceiling then around to find himself locked up, he glared at the man on the other side of the bars and idly noticed that something about this situation seemed familiar, being caged like this.
"Cat got your tongue? Doesn't matter either way, no one's coming for you." The guard taunted, grinning from ear to ear.
He growled but said nothing and turned his back to the other man and stared at the blank brick wall. Behind him he heard the guard grunt then leave. He sighed and pushed back strands of jet black hair then looked up at the small barred window that let in gentle rays of moonlight before crawling on his hands and knees to the spot where the moons rays hit the cold hard ground and sat there, basking in the light.
Even here in this dark, dank place he felt something calling him.
If only he could figure out what.
~*~*~*~
He sat alone by the open window staring out at the night, the lights were off so there was no light other than that of the pale new moon that lay high in the sky. More and more of late he'd been considering leaving but every time the thought came up something inside him told him to wait, that something important was going to happen and that he needed to be here when it happened.
He turned his gaze back inside the small room he temporarily inhabited, it wasn't much, a bed, a mirror, a tiny closet and a bed-side table. Staying in this room he got the feeling that somewhere in his past he was accustomed to much more, it was one of the things that continued to nag at him as he moved about his business each day.
His eyes turned back to regard the pale moon just as it was being covered by a large white cloud.
/Am I alone in this world then? If so why and if not.what then?/
He sighed then, a deep mournful sigh. /At least, someone, tell me my name.Micah, the name I was given, it fits me like a mismatched shoe, I can feel it, yet.I have no idea how I would discover my own identity/
The man stood then and removed his clothes, folding them neatly then placing them at the end of his small bed. He did then what he had done every night he went to sleep since he had been taken in. He stood naked in front of the mirror and gazed at his reflection. He ran one hand through his silky silver hair and frowned slightly.
/Strange, most people with silver hair would be well into their years yet I look no older than twenty five and my eyes, such a rich green. There isn't anyone else in the town with green eyes, but what about this odd glow?/
He stared into his own eyes through the mirror then sighed wearily and turned towards his bed, slipping between the sheets he shivered, there was one thing about himself he was sure of, he hated getting into a cold bed. Lying on his back he stared up at the ceiling for a moment then closed his eyes, letting his mind wonder over all the possibilities that could explain his life thus far.
/Soon.soon I will find out my name/
Soon after that thought sleep took him.
~*~*~*~
Tide squinted at the horizon and sighed at the lack of villages in sight.
"It will be some time more before we reach Kalm." Vincent said calmly from behind him.
"I know." The boy replied dejectedly and turned to face the older man. "I was just hoping we could stay at an inn instead of sleeping on the ground like this."
Vincent grunted then turned back to the fire. "You will have to get used to it, the wilderness is a stern mistress and she does not suffer those who cannot fend for themselves."
The youth stood there for a moment then slumped over to sit by the campfire. "Is he always like this?" He asked Cloud.
"Not really, he just has a lot on his mind." The blond replied without looking up from his journal.
"Hn."
Minutes passed then finally Cloud closed the book he was writing in and gazed across the fire at Tide. "What's wrong Tide?"
"What makes you think something is wrong?"
Cloud said nothing but stared over the fire into the other boys eyes, he'd learnt from doing that in the past that it made people uncomfortable because of the eerie glow that the mako in his system had created.
The younger man stared back for close to a minute before averting his gaze. "Where are we going anyway?"
"To Kalm."
"Not that." The other said with a huff of frustration. "I mean, why are we going anywhere anyway."
The blond sat there a moment trying to figure out the best way to answer his question. "How much has Tifa told you about out journey? The one at North Crater."
"Not much, why?"
"Did she tell you anything about a man called Sephiroth?"
Tide blinked. "She said he was a really evil guy who wanted to destroy the world and that you killed him."
Cloud sighed. "I thought she might say something like that." He paused thoughtfully and looked over to Vincent who was moving over to his tent. "Where are you going?"
"Bed, don't keep the boy up too late telling stories, we need to be moving early tomorrow morning." And with that he disappeared inside his tent.
The blond man sighed inwardly but turned back to Tide. "I guess I should start at the start."
~*~*~*~
"There it is." Cloud said to Tide, pointing to a dark spot on the horizon.
Tide raised one hand to shield his eyes from the sun then squinted. "How can you tell?" He asked.
"The mako treatments I received enhanced all of my senses.I thought I told you that last night." The blond said pointedly.
The boy looked slightly shame faced. "I guess I forgot."
Cloud shook his head. "It's fine, I don't expect you to remember everything I tell you." He said with a wry grin then looked over his shoulder to where Vincent rode just slightly behind them. "How long do you think it'll take us to get there?"
"An hour.maybe two." The older man replied his gaze on the small dot on the horizon. "We'll get there a little after sunset."
"Who are we going to see in Kalm?" Tide asked shifting uncomfortably on his chocobo.
"Cid and Reeve." Vincent answered softly then sank back into silence.
Tide thought about that for a moment then looked at Cloud. "Isn't Reeve the name of the guy who worked for ShinRa?"
Cloud nodded. "That's him, he was head of Urban Development. From what Vincent's told me Reeve's been working on building a better ShinRa."
"What about Cid?"
"He's working on getting a space exploration program running." The blond replied absently.
The youth looked at him. "Is something wrong?"
The older man shook his head slightly. "Not really, I was just trying to figure out how we're going to find Zack and Sephiroth."
"Look."
Cloud raised an eyebrow as he regarded the teen. "That's a very bad habit, you know?"
"My dad always used to do it to my mum, it used to drive her nuts."
Noting the distinct depressed tone in the boys voice Cloud changed the subject. "Tifa said she taught you everything she knew."
Tide looked up and nodded slightly, not sure where the conversation was headed. "I guess."
"Then she taught you how to fight?"
The red head nodded. "She gave me her Premium Heart before we left, so I could 'look after' you better." He added with a wry smirk.
"Sounds like Tifa, what else did she give you?"
"Some potions and ethers and her materia." Tide replied as he rummaged around in one of his bags. "She gave me her summon materia too."
"Ifrit and Titan?" When the boy nodded Cloud shook his head. "Equip it all now, I don't want you wandering around unarmed."
"Right."
"You have to try and remember Tide, even though the planet's calmed down a lot there are still monsters crawling all over the place." Cloud warned him seriously.
The teen nodded and started to put on the reinforced combat gloves then he began putting various materia into the slots. The blond watched him noting each materia. /Fire, ice, lightning, restore, heal, revive, transform, Ultima, Ifrit, Titan.not a bad collection Tifa/
He watched as each materia slid into place. "I didn't think she'd give you those, we're going to have to stop by a materia shop in Kalm and pick up some low level materia."
"What's wrong with what I've got?"
"The reason you start with a level one materia is so your mind can adapt to it and become stronger as you familiarize it, that's why with each time you cast a spell it gets stronger, because you do." Cloud explained patiently. "The other reason is that if you're unfamiliar with a spell and you suddenly start trying to cast it at it's max level there's a good chance you'll either blow your body apart in a backlash or your mind will crumble under the stress and you'll go insane."
Tide blinked and stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "You're not kidding are you?" He asked in a whisper.
"No, there were records of it happening in one of the old ShinRa labs, but after all this time I don't think you'd be able to find much, if the lab is intact at all." The blond said watching the rode in front of them.
Without hesitation Tide began plucking the materia back out with the exception of a level one ice materia that sat alone in the very middle slot.
Cloud saw it out of the corner of his eye and frowned thoughtfully. "I didn't think Tifa had any low level materia."
"My dad brought it for me before he died."
"Sorry."
"Hn."
The continued to ride in silence with only a few minor observations from Vincent about possible ambushes or monster sightings, none of which were of any concern since they were too far away to be of any danger. It was something that was still an alien concept for Tide, having grown up in a happy and secure environment away from harm. The closest he had come to danger was the near constant sparring matches his mother had insisted upon and possibly the town bullies but eventually they learnt that smaller didn't mean weaker. Tide had made sure they understood that after being on the receiving end of their taunts for more times than he could successfully ignore.
His mother had told him and his brother stories every night about how she and Cloud Strife had roamed the world searching for Sephiroth and peace. He also remembered her staring off into the distance after those stories just thinking and he recalled how she often looked sad for some reason. It wasn't until he became a teenager that he really started to figure out why though, Mideel was generally a average sized, quiet town and even if you were the anti-social type you got to know everyone in your age group fairly well, regardless of whether you wanted to or not. His early teenage years were particularly interesting because like everyone else he started to see things a little differently.
And so did the girls.
Thinking back he recalled being the center of many fights that stemmed from jealousy because the girls most of the girls in town were smitten by his good looks and kind nature and those who weren't were drawn to his strength and calm fighting spirit. It wasn't long that he started earning a reputation for being the dangerous sort and that of course meant that the girls fathers were grounding their daughters to keep them away from him.
While this went of the daughters and the mothers insisted that they were being stupid and that Tide wouldn't hurt a fly if he didn't have to.
Tide shook his head wryly and sighed as his memories flowed to him.
He remembered his mother telling him one morning that they needed a bigger place to spar and so where else better than the town square for their morning, afternoon and nightly workouts. It wasn't until after he saw the audience that comprised mostly of females that he suspected his mother had ulterior motives instead of the 'bigger places make better sparring' she had given him. Their workouts were always quite hot and sweaty and because it was a habit of his to remove his shirt at such points he didn't really think it would be such a big deal.
/Boy was I wrong/ He thought ruefully.
After the first time he did that the crowd effectively doubled in size and a few more men had joined in to watched him and his mother spar and it wasn't long before there wasn't almost nowhere he could go where he wouldn't be followed by at least one pair of eyes.
".here."
Tide's head snapped up and he blinked. "Huh?"
"We're here." Vincent repeated softly.
Sure enough they were quickly approaching the large city, he could see the bright lights from the windows and watched as a few individuals made their way around the darkened streets. Vincent moved his chocobo into the lead. "This way."
~*~*~*~